sparked a national debate. >> brittany didn't wan't to die the brain tumor was killing her, she simply took control over how that process would go. >> now see what her husband is doing to keep his promise to change "right to die" laws nationwide. america tonight only on al jazeera america. more evidence of the growing arsenal of improvise the weapon syria's government is accused of using on its own people. ♪ ♪ hello, welcome once again to al jazerra. live from our headquarters in doha. also coming up. a protest in hong kong as politicians debate how the city's next leader should be elected. >> the only thing that really counts is have we stopped the boats? and the answer is a resounding yes. australia's prime spinster evades questions over a bribery

scandal despite growing evidence evidence. and we'll tell you why venderring to your sweet tooth may not be so bad for you after all. ♪ ♪ we begin in syria where the government has used so-called elephant rockets in an attack on a suburb of damascus killing at least 27 people. the rock set a recent addition to the government's arsenal of improvised weapons. they have already been condemned for losing barrel bombs and chlorine gas on civilians i warning you my feigned some of the images in caroline malone's report upsetting. >> reporter: it's a desperate scramble to rescue a brother and sister trapped in the rubble i've building destroyed in douma. the rebel strong hold has been under attack by forces loyal to president bashar al-assad for the last three years. his palace in duh mass cass is

only 12-kilometer as way this time assad's forces used elephant rockets named off the distinctive noise they make when they are launched the improvised weapon is made by attaching rocket motorses to much larger bombs increasing its destructive effect. the effect on people is clear in the local hospital where scores of children are among the injured. across the world u.s. secretary of state john kerry summed up what much of the international community thinks about such attacks. >> i think everybody patience is wearing thin with respect to the extraordinary depravity of the weaponry and mechanisms for delivery which assad has used against his own people. >> reporter: the question is what can be done to stop suffering from attacks like this? and from the continued use of chemical weapons despite a u.n.-backed deal to get rid of the government's stockpile two years ago. members of the syrian medical

society expected to give evidence to the u.s. foreign affairs commit on wednesday that shows assad is using chlorine on civilians. the u.s. ambassador to the united nations is the u.n. security council is considering another revolution to stop it. >> to make it very clear to the world just because chlorine say household product doesn't make it not a chemical weapon when it is put in a barrel bomb and dropped on civilians. >> reporter: at the same time, the u.n. envoy to syria is in damascus meeting assad he's there to try to push for a political solution to end the conflict. he also urged assad to stop hitting civilians. since 2011, human rights groups have documented 235,000 deaths in syria. half of those are people not involved in the fighting. victims such as those in the attack on dual a this time there were shouts as joy as a girl was pulled alive from the rubble of the building blown up by is assad

air force while underneath her brother could still be held calling for help. >> almost 20,000 syrian refugees have fled to turkey. syrian kurdish forces now control four hommie kilometers of on the turkey-er is queen border. they are a us coulded of forcing out arabs and turk man from the town. a negotiator for yemen's houthi rebels say they won't speak to the exiled government of president hadi. the united nation is his trying to persuade both sides to hold talks and resolve the conflict. we have a report from geneva. >> reporter: these are the houthis, allies of the deposed president saleh. they are in geneva for crucial talks aimed at stopping violence in yemen. the united nations has called on all of the party to his agree on a two-week humanitarian truce.

>> translator: the fighting on the ground is an issue but the biggest problem is the saudi-led air strikes the different sides can agree on a ceasefire but we want the u.n. and the international community to put pressure on the saudi to his stop the air strikes. >> reporter: the houthis and forces local to saleh have the upper hand on the ground in certain areas. they have recently taken new areas on the border with saudi arabia. >> translator: yemen has been destroyed by all sorts of weapons. children and the elderly have been killed. this is chicago went the war to stop and the blockade to be lifted. people are starving. there is no medicine. no fuel. and no food. >> reporter: the ongoing fighting is raising concerns of more instability. the u.s. is monitoring the talks in geneva. it's been fighting al qaeda for many years. now it's concerned al qaeda might take advantage of the

ongoing political divisions to expand across the country. the u.n. has been working for weeks to bring yemen's warring factions to start political talks. for now the chances the government and the houthis meet face-to-face are unlikely. they remain largely divided over the future of yemen. the united nations has been trying for years to reconcile differences between yemen's key players, that didn't work. its hope now is to start a new process based on a ceasefire as a first step followed boy a houthi pull out from the main series. and then negotiate a power sharing deal but that might take years. al jazerra geneva. hong kong lawmakers are beginning a debate on a controversial electoral reform plan. if it passes the city will be able to vote for its own leaders, but only as long as china approves the candidate. the conditions imposed by

beijing sparks huge protests when the plan is announced last august and protesters have once again rallied outside hong kong's legislative council. adrian brown is there for us. hi there adrian. there are some people we can see behind you but are they -- these crowds anywhere as large as last year? and are they all against this plan? >> reporter: well, the crowds here are actually quite small compared to say last october when this area really had thousands of people present outside the legislative assembly. today i would put the crowd really at no more than a few hundred and it comprises those who support the government and those who oppose its measures to expand democracy here in the former british territory. what is happening right now this defining moment here in hong kong, is that 70 lex 70

legislators in the building behind are are involved in a marathon debate. i say marathon because there are 70 legislators and each can speak if i have teen minutes so this will go on for a very long time. the measure they are discussing was approved by china's parliament the national people's congress back in august. and in essence it gives the people of hong kong the right to choose their next chief executive in 2017. so long as the candidates are approved and vetted by a committee set enough hong kong. the pro democratic group smelled a rat straightaway and said that sounds like a fix to us. it sounds like china having an election but also guaranteeing the outcome. now, for this measure to pass the government will need the support of at least four members of the opposition that i think will semen likely. so ahead really, an intense day of debate. this really is an historic moment because everything since the hand over has been leading

up to this occasion. and there is, of course, a supreme irony here, because china, the world's last great communist power is imploring hong kong to adopt this democratic model. and, of course, nowhere else in china really enjoys the sort of freedoms that hong kong does including the right to demonstrate as is happening today. >> adrian, as ever, thanks very much. adrian brown live for us from hong kong where that debate has now begun. south korea has reported one new death and eight new cases of mers. that's the middle east respiratory syndrome bringing the total number of cases to 162. four are at the center of the outbreak in the hospital. that raises questions over the government's ability to contain the disease that's killed 20 people in less than a month. al jazerra has been given exclusive action toes bank notes allegedly handed over by

australian official to his indonesian people smugglers. the australian government is refuse to go con confirm or deny whether the payments were made straining relations with its asian neighbor as andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: the money shot. on the indonesian island al jazerra was given the first exclusive access to the bank notes at the center of a major diplomatic dispute. this cash indonesian police say was given at sea by australian officials to people smugglers to insure that they return their human cargo to indonesian. and this is the captain of the asylum seeker boat. >> translator: i told the australian man we needed money so we could return to our wifes and children. he said okay. we'll help you. as captain i got $6,000, the five crew got 5,000 each. >> reporter: the captain now being held by indonesian police, claims his boat was escorted by two australian vices over a

two-week period. eventually passengers and crew were transferred to two different fishing boats that the australians provided and once paid sent in the direction of indonesia. >> translator: according to our law this is bribery. this is illegal. we will let the international community decide what the punishment should be. >> reporter: in australia on tuesday, the prime minister was still dodging questions. >> the only thing that really count is have we stopped the boats? and the answer is a resounding yes. >> reporter: the prime minister insisted officials acted legally despite legal experts saying paying smugglers to take people anywhere would be against international and even australian domestic law. there are questions, too for australia's main opposition party. did people smugglers ever get paid by australia while they were in government? not at sea its leader said, but he stone walled when it came to payments ever made to smugglers

on land. >> you know it doesn't matter what political party the politician is from when it comes to security matters we simply don't commented. >> reporter: australia paying smugglers then could have been happening for years. australian opinions are mixed. >> if they've got nothing to hide on it the government they should be answering the question. >> stop the boats coming in australia. it's a good thing for the government. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: crook? >> yes, to pay to pay the smugglers, they are crooks themselves. >> reporter: most australians say they are pleased that most of the asylum seekers have stopped coming to the country. but most are uncomfortable with the secrecy by how it has been achieved. there are legal questions and questions of exactly how long it's been going on. still to come here on al jazerra. egypt's justice system is under

fire after a court upholds a death sentence for deposed president mohamed morrisey also ahead. >> reporter: i am rob reynolds at the e3 gaming and electronic entertainment convention in los angeles. where virtual reality is one of the big showcased items this year. >> ya. >> we've done it and that is why we are there. >> my life is in danger. >> anyone who talks about the islamic religion is killed. >> don't miss the exclusive al jazeera investigation. >> i can't

>> al jazeera america, weekday mornings. catch up on what happened overnight with a full morning brief. get a first hand look with in-depth reports and investigations. start weekday mornings with al jazeera america. ♪ ♪ hi there, welcome back. these are the top stories here a al jazerra. syrian government forces are accused of using so-called elephant rockets in due ma just

north of damascus killing 27 people. the rocket is a recent addition to the government's arsenal of immaterialimprovised weapons. hong kong lawmakers are now debating a controversial electoral reform plan, if it passes the city will be able to vote for their own leaders but only as long as beijing a proved the candidates. al jazerra has been given exclusive action he is to film bank notes allegedly given to people smugglers. the autopsy en government is not confirming or denying whether payments were made. let's go back to the conflict in syria. while the government comes up with new types of immaterial pro sized explosives there is another type of weapon. the internet is being use booed i both the government and opposition forces and it's having tangible consequences on the ground. >> reporter: it was a tell indication controller's nightmare.

cyber attack of epic proportions. 12 channels taken off air. so how did a french tv station be brought down by the war in syria. as the uprising started so did another conflict. a cyber war. activist was one of the first casualties. >> in my arrester i spent three days where i was tortured. but on the second day, i was taken in for interrogation. but the questions were first of all they wanted my facebook account. >> reporter: digital media and the internet have become a weapon. and as the revolution unfolded the assad regime was confronted not only by the syrians. >> greetings to our friends around the worlds. we are anonymous. the global resistence to tyranny. >> reporter: anonymous hackers did he faced syrian government websites.

inside sear yacht demonstrations had spread and the levels of violence increased. and suddenly the painfully slow syrian internet improved. the security agencies had turned the table on his the activists. president assad found a secret weapon his own hacking collective. >> the syrian electronic army honor, loyalty,. >> reporter: we made contact with the syrian hacker, the electronic army tried to recruit. and he told us the hackers space was extremely well equipped. >> reporter: cyber security analyst discovered that pro ca jim hackers had access the skype conversations many relating to a

2013 battle during which opposition forces lost access to crucial supply routes. we may never know exactly who struck the tv, but it's clear thousands of attacks on commercial and government targets take place every day around the world. but syria's war is a likely blueprint pot way future conflicts will be played out with cyber warfare taking place along way from the battlefield. julianna, al jazerra,. a decision by an egyptian court to uphold the death sentence for deposed president mohamed morsi has been met with widespread condemnation the u.n. and the european union has come out against the decision. >> the united states has repeatedly raised concerns about the detention and sentencing a variety of political figures in egypt. and we are concerned that the proceedings have been conducted in a way that would is not only temporary kasamier to universal

values but also damage to go the stability that all egyptians deserve. the greek prime minister has accuse asked his country's creditors of trying to humiliate his government. in turn the president of the european commission said the greek government is misleading voters. shares on the greek stock market fell for a third day in a row as both sides struggle to find a solution. the prime minister says he's still pushing for a deal to keep greece in the euro zone. the biggest sticking point is pensions. as we report from athens they have been cut three times already over the past decade. >> reporter: she retired at 57. under different circumstances she says, she would still be working. >> translator: i didn't want to retire. i liked my work and i was perfectly capable of doing it and i need needed the money because we can't make end meet on the pension not with loans to pay off and married children to

support. >> reporter: renewed insecurity over pension returns have sparked a new rush to retire an estimated 400,000 people here have applied here at the social insurance foundation and other funds. >> translator: every time there is a discussion about reforming social security people rush to apply for a pension. the reason is insecurity in case worse terms cama long later retirement or less money people are everybody prepared to take a reduced tension. another reason is a threat of layoffs. >> reporter: the sticking points is that greece's creditors wants the government to cut pension costs by $2 billion $2 billion per year because pensions are the biggest expense. 30% of the budget this year. creditors believe the government should start by doing away early retirement immediately. the government wants to phase it over over several years and it's against the cuts in principle saying they will trigg air new recession. this already complicated discussion has just become more difficult. greece's highest administrative court has ordered the government

to reverse pension cuts made in the last three years saying they are unconstitutional that will add between 1.3 and $1.7 billion to the government's costs. the real problem with greek pensions in lack of work. only 40% of greeks are considered an active population. and only 30% are actually working. crisis era governments have been promising a gold rush of investment to boost employment. what they have achieved in "america tonight" an old rush of people seeking refuge from the labor market, fearing that matters can only become worse. john, al jazerra athens. pakistan security forces are hailing the success of a crack down on organized crime in the city of scratch i and karachi and now considering expanding the operation, kamal hider has details. >> reporter: the southern port city of karachi is the economic hub of the country. in karachi comes to a standstill, the effects can be felt across the country. however, for the last few

decades, karachi has been reeling under violence with target killings that have cost thousands of lives. there are cases of, he torque, kidnapping as well. last september the military launched a major operation to try and clean up the streets of karachi. the result of that is that there is a 50% decrease in violence and acts of kidnapping and also extortion. we were able to talk to the provinces information minister toll tell us how that operation is going. >> not only karachi improved much better than before. lots of target killing is reduced and kidnapping is reduced. almost we have eliminated all of the kidnapping of ransom. >> reporter: the country's military. [ inaudible ] says that he wants to take this operation to a logical conclusion because the

stability of karachi will mean the stability of the rest of pakistan. and if the operation to clean up this city is successful, then it can be replicated in other cities as well. karachi is. [ inaudible ] for pakistan because -- vital for pakistan because this is the artery that surprise the whole country with much-needed logistics, fuel surprise and also the country's finances. a u.s. real estate mogul donald trump is the latest candidate seeking the republican nonomination for president of the united states. trump made the announcement to a group of supporters at trump tower in new york. the 68-year-old businessman and reality tv star spoke about some of his main priorities. >> i will build a great wall on our southern border and i will have mexico pay for that wall. mark my words. nobody would be tougher on isis than donald trump.

nobody. the devastating earthquake that hit nepal in april was so big that it literally moved mountains. chinese researchers say mt. everett the world's highest peek was shifted south by three centimeters. >> while the defense peu li populated kathmandu valley was moved by two meters. the quake damaged more than 700 700 temples and other monuments in nepal about 33 are in the main square in kathmandu which has just reopened. >> reporter: back to business. that's what nepal's government is saying as the country opens up its heritage sites damaged by the earth character. more than 700 monuments were damaged by the quiet. 33 were here in kathmandu. on tuesday among dignitaries the square was declared officially. >> translator: we are opening the sites and welcoming tourists. >> reporter: since the earthquake tourism has come it a

standstill in nepal. large sections of this palace have been deemed up safe and have been cordoned off. the government said tourist should come visit the heritage site not only to see the monuments but also to learn about disasters. tourist have his to pay around $7 to see these ruins. an expected $170 million will be needed to rebuild the heritage sites of nepal. >> we are. [ inaudible ] 25 -- [ inaudible ] in the area we have to put on helmets. and cautiously we have to see areas of the unesco heritage sites. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: but conservations along with unesco say the government's decision to reopen these areas might be premature. unesco issued a statement telling the public to be extra

careful. artifacts are still being salvaged from some of the sites raising dangers of threat. we asked director general of department of archeology if they succumb today pressure from the business community. >> translator: we feel pressure but not much. it is on you duty. 1 million people is involved in the tourism industry and total 3% gdp is from tourism. if the risk will not come how do we survive. >> reporter: only 14 of the 75 districts of nepal have been affected by the quake but overall tourism has dramatically decreased. the government hopes that opening these heritage sites would be a symbolic gesture to bring tourists back to nepal. al jazerra kathmandu. now here is some good news, perhaps fox chock holland i cans scientists in scotland

discovered eating up to 100 grams of chocolate every day could lower the risk of strokes and heart disease but as charlie angela now reports the sweet treat still has some downsides. >> reporter: so decadent and delicious and not so bad for us as we thought. it seems eating chocolate area leads to lower risk of heart attack and strokes. researchers at the university of aberdeen discovered that those who ate more chocolate also we'd less, exercise more and were less obese and less likely to have type two diabetes all tack factors of less risk of cardiovascular disease, they are not saying it makes you healthier but may be no need to give it up to protect your heart. >> eating chocolate seems to have safe in terms of cardiovascular events found a little bit of reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events.

we can't say this is because of chocolate consumption. >> reporter: the study focused on british people a nation of chocoholics the north largest consumer in the world. these chocolatiers understand the power of what they are selling. >> there is a big endorphin pay off when you have chocolate and with the higher percentages of chocolate you get a big are pay off. >> reporter: this is some of the highest quality chocolate that you can buy. in the recent studies subjects weren't just eating dark chocolate but you would were also eating mass produced bars like this and had an 11% risk of cardiovascular disease and 25% risk of stroke. dietitians are warning people not to take up a chocolate habit as a result of findings. >> chocolate as parts of a healthy balanced diet is find it's still high in fat being calories and sugar. if you are trying to watch your weight eating a lot of chocolate isn't going to be good for you.

>> reporter: so before you reach for another bar bear in mind more research needs to be done, charlie angela, al jazerra london. as ever, there is always our website for all of the latest news and lots more. the address for that, aljazerra.com. fast-track his asian trade treaty has been closed down by his own party, and troubled waters. tension builds as china builds island bases in the middle of a trade route. stop me if you have heard this before. president obama